


Dice With Death

by Elioren



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate universe - Mafia, F/M, Gang AU, Gangs, I repeat, Idk if I'm going to finish this anytime soon but lets do this, Mafia AU, THERE'S SIN, There Will Be Sin, There aren't Kwamis but there are miraculouses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-09 10:47:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10410447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elioren/pseuds/Elioren
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng always wanted more out of life than the boring routine she’d grown used to. Twenty-two, eternally single, and living with her parents at the family bakery. Just as things start to look up for her when an old friend returns to Paris, the wheels of fate begin to turn when she's nearly kidnapped and saved by a handsome man in a black mask. Dealing with one crush is much easier than dealing with two.Why couldn't she be satisfied with her life of normality?-Mafia AU-Warning: Sin in later chapters.-----------NOTICE: This work is a bit old, and I plan to rewrite it (see the announcement in chapter 5 for details). Feel free to read it and bookmark/subscribe to it if the premise interests you and you'd like to know when the updated story is available.





	1. Same old, same old.

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said in the summary, I'm planning on rewriting this and making it much better than it is. (See chapter 5 for details)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm not totally sure if I'll be able to continue this anytime soon, as I do have one other fanfic I'm currently working on and one that's on hiatus. (Side note, you should totally check those out.) 
> 
> If you guys want more of this PLEASE let me know in the comments!
> 
> TUMBLR LINK:  
> elioren.tumblr.com

 

 

 

Wake up, work, come home, go to bed, rinse and repeat.

 

That was the general outline of Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s everyday life, one the twenty-two-year-old had grown quite accustomed to. At first she found it dreadfully boring, but the endless loop of mundane tasks had become a sort of comfort to her. Even though she did wish for more at times, she never had to worry about unexpected surprises or instability.

 

At least, that’s what she tried to convince herself.

 

Marinette sighed audibly. It _was_ boring, anyone could see that. No friends, no boyfriend, and still living with her parents. Not that Marinette didn’t love her job working at her parents’ bakery, but she always longed for more. She had tried online dating a couple times, both to find friends and potential partners, but each attempt ended in dreadful failure. Her mother and father both tried to convince her to go out and have some fun once in awhile, but she was always one of those stay-at-home-and-read-a-book-in-your-pyjamas types. Besides, she could count the number of friends she had on one hand–and over half of them were just regulars at the bakery. She had been homeschooled for most of her life due to illness, but she had managed to meet one person who refused to drift out of her life after high school like many of her peers.

 

His name was Adrien Agreste.

 

The son of famed fashion designer and Marinette’s personal idol, Gabriel Agreste, was a literal ray of sunshine. The two met after Marinette was discharged from the hospital at the end of a three-year stay. The sixteen-year-old girl had no friends, hadn’t been to public school since before she was admitted, and was completely alone. But after being assigned to the same group project, Adrien had managed to pull her out of the rut she was in. The two had been close friends ever since, despite going to different colleges after graduation.

Marinette flipped through her news feed, briefly glancing at some of the headlines. Paris had seen its fair share of criminal activity recently, but most of it was on the other side of the city. As she tapped on one of the articles, the bell on the door of the bakery rang, signaling the entrance of a customer. She set her phone down and put on her “ready to serve you” smile when she noticed the familiar head of perfectly styled blonde hair.

“Adrien!” She exclaimed, swinging around the counter to pull the tall man into a hug.

“Hey, Mari!” He chuckled in a buttery smooth voice, wrapping his toned arms around her small frame. He had been away on a modeling trip for two months, courtesy of his father. On top of his gorgeous personality, he also had an even _more_ gorgeous body. Marinette could feel his muscles flexing through his perfectly tailored suit and tried to keep her legs from turning into jelly. As teenagers, they had both been somewhat awkward, as adolescents usually are. From what she heard, Adrien hit the peak of his growth spurt at seventeen and didn't fill in the rest of his body to match his newly acquired height until after graduation. Marinette didn’t even know how it had happened. One day they were two geeky friends holding their diplomas up for her father’s camera, the next she was coming home from university and ran into this stud of a man by chance. She almost didn’t recognize him at first.

She had to admit, she was always a little interested in him but couldn’t bring herself to take any risks. She didn’t want to ruin their friendship. But now, just looking at him without actively blocking her feelings brought a blush to her face and turned her into a stuttering idiot. You’d think knowing him for over six years would’ve allowed her to pull back on the reins of her crush, but you’d be wrong. She had tried dating guys during college to get rid of her feelings, but it was futile. If anything, it only made it worse. Though being separated for four years turned them into different people than they used to be, their old friendship still remained intact and Marinette was grateful she didn’t do anything to compromise that.

“I’ve missed you!” Marinette said, her voice muffled by his shirt.

“I’ve missed you too, Mari.” He pulled away so he wasn’t smothering her and could look her in the eyes properly.

“I didn’t know you were coming back this week! You should have told me so I could plan.” Almost immediately after he had finished college, Adrien was sent to work for his father’s company as a model. He and Marinette hadn’t gotten much time to catch up before he was whisked away to America.

“I promise you,” he began, “Now that I’m back in Paris we’ll have much more time to hang out.” As he said this, Marinette’s parents, Tom and Sabine, emerged from the kitchen to see what all the hullabaloo was about.

“Adrien!” Tom called, “Long time no see!” The larger man clapped Adrien on the back, almost knocking him over. Lifting gargantuan-sized bags of flour for over fifteen years made him forget his own strength sometimes.

“It’s good to be back, Mr. Dupain.” Adrien greeted Sabine as well and made light chit-chat for a while. Sabine invited him to stay for dinner, but he reluctantly declined.  
“I’m sorry, but I have a business meeting this evening. Some other time, though!”

“Of course, you’re welcome anytime!” Sabine rested a comforting hand on his shoulder, knowing all too well how stressful his career was. He was destined to take over _Gabriel,_ his father’s brand, one day and had to prepare for whenever the time came. Unfortunately, that included participating in all meetings.

“Thank you, Mrs. Cheng,” Adrien replied politely. He glanced at his watch, noticing that the time was almost 4:30. His meeting started at five o’clock sharp, so he stretched out their conversation for as long as possible before being forced to say his goodbyes to the family. He promised to stop by the next morning for breakfast and coffee and left the bakery soon after.

Marinette watched him go, her eyes trailing his black car from the front window of the shop until it disappeared from her sight. Her parents returned to the kitchen and she reassumed her position at the register, thinking about what pastries she could make him for tomorrow morning.

 

* * *

 

Adrien turned a corner and gazed up at the back end of an abandoned hotel. At least, that’s what it looked like on the outside. He hopped out of his car and opened the chain-link gate, blatantly ignoring the **“DO NOT ENTER”** signs plastered all over the fence. He drove his car forward and closed the fence behind him, making a mental note to get a lock for the gate. He parked in an alleyway between the hotel and another building, making sure his car was mostly invisible to any passerby. Making sure no one was nearby, he lifted his hand and gently brushed his finger over the center of a silver ring, something most people didn’t notice him wearing. A flash of green filled the car, and a black mask materialized on his chiseled face. His hair was tousled by the force the ring expelled, making it messier than normal. Adrien flipped his mirror down to make sure his disguise was in place and exited the car.

The blonde walked towards a broken window, one that was covered by wooden pallets leaning against the brick exterior of the building. He pushed them aside and hopped through the now uncovered window, forming a dust cloud as he landed. Adrien walked through the hotel, letting his memory guide him. It had been over a year since he’d been in this building, but he remembered it well. He ascended the creaky staircase in the center of the grand foyer and came face-to-face with three other young adults, all wearing similar disguises as himself.

“Took you long enough,” A blonde girl sneered. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, as always, and her blue eyes peered through a bright yellow mask with a black outline.

“I’m sure it’s not his fault,” a tan man defended, leaning against one of the unbroken windows. His mask was forest green with a hexagon pattern inlaid in it.

“Agreed.” The last person, a girl with a similar complexion as the man before her, spoke as well. Her orange mask and matching shirt reflected the rays of the sunset behind them.

“Sorry I’m late, guys.” Adrien unbuttoned his black blazer, draping it over the railing of the staircase.

“It’s fine, Chat Noir,” The green-masked man said, _“We_ know you’ve got your own problems to deal with.” He punctuated his statement with a glare at the blonde girl, who merely flipped her ponytail in annoyance.

“I apologize for being gone for a year, it dragged on longer than expected,” Adrien said, suddenly growing more serious, “but there are more important matters to discuss.”

“Hawkmoth.” They turned to the blonde girl once again, surprised to hear her usual superior tone drop.

“Yes,” Adrien confirmed, “I tracked some of his lackeys overseas when they tried to smuggle weapons from America, but I couldn’t stop them by myself.” He rolled up the sleeve of his white shirt, showing his bandaged arm. The group looked at their leader with concern. He was the best combatant of them all. If he got hurt, Hawkmoth must’ve employed some seriously good pawns. He pulled his sleeve back down and continued. “I can’t say for certain what their goal is. My last lead came up dry.”

“Do you have any idea where we can get more intel?” The orange-clad girl asked, raising her hands to fiddle with a necklace that dangled above her collarbone.

“As a matter of fact, I do. They seem to have a target that they’re following. If I can get their spy alone, then there’s a good chance I’ll be able to interrogate him.”

“I’d recommend jumping him before he jumps them,” the other man suggested, “If they really are being targeted, there’s a good chance Hawkmoth won’t let them escape.”

 

* * *

 

“Marinette, get up already!”

 

The raven-haired girl nearly fell out of bed. Her mother’s voice was so loud that it rang in her ears even after she had finished her sentence. She rubbed her eyes and glanced over at her alarm clock, noticing that she had overslept… for more than an hour. It was now nine in the morning, the busiest time of the day. She shrieked and rushed out from under the covers–nearly knocking over Sabine in the process–and dressed quickly. Her mother left the room and allowed her mess of a daughter to get ready, even though she was still annoyed at her for sleeping through two of her alarms.

Marinette nearly tripped as she ran down the stairs into the bakery, two steps at a time. She skidded into the kitchen and fastened her apron around her waist, though the remnants of sleep still clung to her long eyelashes. Her hair was sticking out in random places and her cheek had the imprint of her pillowcase in it. Tom shook his head at her silently, knowing her ability to oversleep had gone unmatched.

She turned the corner into the front of the bakery quickly, dangerously close to slipping on the smooth tile. Luckily, only one person was at the register, a tall man with a slightly oversized suit. Marinette concluded he was probably a businessman on his way to work. Adjusting her apron so it wasn’t lopsided, she put on the best smile she could muster and asked the man what he wanted to order.

“A coffee–black, and a plain buttered croissant.” He raised an eyebrow at her disheveled appearance as he handed her his money. She tried not to look into his scrutinizing gaze and completed his order as quickly as possible. Several other customers had turned to look at her, and she noticed several of them were staring at her feet. She followed their gaze downwards and realized–

“Mari? Why aren’t you wearing any shoes?”

She flipped her head up at the silky voice, locking eyes with Adrien from across the counter.

“A-Adrien!” she stuttered, jumping backward.

“Hi?” He said, noticing how unkempt the rest of her outfit was as well. “Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?” The blonde chuckled.

“Something like that,” she sighed. Sabine came out of the kitchen to restock the pastry display and eyed Marinette up and down.

“Honestly, Marinette,” Sabine mumbled, “You have to at least make an effort.”

“I’m sorry, _maman,_ I was up late last night.”

“Doing what, exactly?” Marinette froze. No way was she going to tell her mother that she was thinking about Adrien’s morning visit _in front of him._

“I–Uh–Th-that is… Drawing! I was drawing and lost track of time!” Sabine eyed her skeptically but actually bought the excuse.

“Well, at least take more than five minutes to brush your hair before coming down to the bakery. Go on,” she waved a hand, “go get some shoes and clean up a little.” Marinette did as she was told and glanced back at Adrien before heading back upstairs. She was going to miss a chance to talk with him at this rate. Luckily, he seemed to understand what she was thinking.

 _I’ll wait,_ he mouthed. She smiled at him and nodded, skipping up the staircase with glee. A few minutes later, she reemerged into the bakery with her hair and clothes tidy and pink ballet flats on her feet. Adrien was still there, as promised, sitting at a table next to the window. Marinette saw him gazing out at the street, a dreamy look gracing his face. She remembered the days when he would come after hours and taste-test all of her failed recipes. He would always tell her they were delicious, though his facial expressions said otherwise. One time, she could have sworn she saw him turn the slightest tinge of green. Luckily, she’d had much more practice since then and was now on par with her parents’ baking skills.

“Hey, stranger.” She silently crossed the room to where Adrien was sitting, startling him when she spoke up.

“Hi!” He looked her up and down, much like her mother had before. “Welcome back to the living, Ms. Zombie.”

“Har har,” she said, rolling her bluebell eyes. “So, how long have you been in town?” Marinette asked, quickly steering the subject away from her appearance.

“About a week. I would have stopped by sooner but I was completely swamped with a photo shoot at the Arc de Triomphe.”

“The life of a model,” Marinette deadpanned, “So tiresome, so demanding. How _will_ you ever survive?”

“My dear Marinette,” he drawled back, “I’ll have you know that it’s difficult being this attractive.” He swept his hair back with his fingers, showcasing his gorgeous face. Marinette could almost swear she saw sparkles radiating off of him, though it was probably just light on the window. She rolled her eyes and elbowed him, earning a low chuckle from her friend.

“So how long are you here for?”

“A good while, I don’t have any overseas trips scheduled for months.”

“Nice! You took those pictures I asked you to, right?”

“But of course.” Adrien pulled out his phone and unlocked it, holding it up for her to see. “New York runway shows, as requested.”

Marinette snatched his phone away and flipped through the pictures, so engrossed that her nose nearly touched the screen. Gabriel Agreste was a genius, that much was obvious, but these were some of the best autumn designs she had ever seen. As she continued scrolling from one picture to the next, Adrien tapped her arm with the back of his hand.

“You know,” he began, “your designs could rival some of these.”

“Not likely. I can’t even begin to compete with your dad’s creations.”

“Who says you have to compete? My dad is constantly looking for new talent, and I could put a word in for you if you’re interested.”

“Thanks, Adrien,” she said, returning his phone to his palm, “but I’m probably going to end up taking over the bakery. I couldn’t sell this place, and being a designer would prevent me from working here.”

Adrien sighed. He’d tried to convince Marinette to pursue her dreams back in high school, but she’d always give him the same argument. She was talented–extremely so. But she felt obligated to run the bakery after Tom and Sabine retired. There was no convincing her otherwise, not until Gabriel Agreste himself stood before her and told her the same thing. Adrien checked the time on his phone and shot up from his chair, nearly giving Marinette a heart attack.

“Oh crap! I’m so late, he’s gonna kill me!” He threw his suit jacket over his shoulder and stuffed the rest of his danish into his mouth as Marinette ran to get him a to-go cup for his coffee. The businessman from before jumped as Adrien ran past his table, scooting his croissant a little further from the edge. “I’ll text you later, Mari!”

“Sure!” She called back as he rushed out the door. Marinette shook her head and chuckled. Somehow, he always managed to arrive on time even when he was running late. Marinette wished she had that ability; she was always late for everything. Taking his empty plate in hand, she returned to the kitchen to help her father with the day’s cake orders.

 

* * *

 

**_Adrien 5:14 PM - Sorry about earlier. I had to meet with my dad to talk about my next job and he would’ve chopped me up and danced on my grave if I was even a second late._ **

 

**_Marinette 5:20 PM - It’s cool. I think I’d prefer it if you stayed in one piece, anyway._ **

 

**_Adrien 5:26 PM - Probably a good idea. Want me to send you the pics from the show?_ **

 

**_Marinette 5:35 PM - Yes please! :)_ **

 

**_Adrien 5:42 PM - *12 Attachments* I hope they all go through._ **

 

**_Marinette 5:50 PM - Yep! Got them._ **

 

**_Adrien 5:59 PM - Nice, I’ll try to stop by tomorrow for breakfast and you can tell me your favorites. :)_ **

 

**_Marinette 5:02 PM - Awesome. See you then!_ **

 

Marinette set her phone down and continued curling her hair. She was going on a date tonight and prayed it wouldn’t end in disaster like many before. The last time she tried online dating, she had gotten matched with a cute artist from the north side of Paris. He was sweet, charming, polite, and courteous… Until he got half a bottle of wine in him. After he made his true “intentions” known and attempted to feel her up, Marinette promptly left, disgusted. Who even gets drunk from half a bottle of wine? Regardless, she decided to give it one last shot. If tonight ended horribly, she would swear off online dating for life. With any luck, she would strike gold and never have to worry about dating again.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Two hours later, Marinette was stomping out of the restaurant with a 26-year-old man in tow. Sometime after their introductions, he revealed himself as a pig who didn’t see women as anything other than sex objects. She tried to stick out the rest of the evening out of politeness, but he’d made some off-hand remark about the waitress’s figure. She refused to turn around despite his half-drunken slurs of apology. He grabbed her hand and spun her around by force, trapping her against his body.

“Come on, baby, I said I was sorry. Why don’t we just go back to my hotel room and have some fun?” Marinette tried to push him away, but he was stronger than her.

“And do what, exactly? Because whatever it is, I’m not interested in being around a raging misogynist.”

“I’m not a mis...Whatever you said.” His hands traveled down her back towards her ass as he leaned in towards her, eyes clouded with lust. “You’ll have a good time, I promise.” Marinette huffed and slammed her stiletto heel into his foot, causing him to cry out in pain and release her. When he bent down on the sidewalk she pushed him down into a puddle and fled, not giving him the chance to retaliate. Marinette ducked into a nearby alley and hid behind a dumpster, waiting to make sure he hadn’t followed her. She looked up at the dark sky when she felt a drip on her cheek.

 _Just my luck,_ she thought, _rain._ When at least five minutes had passed, she continued down the alley, taking the long route home. She absolutely did _not_ want to run into him again and took no chances. As she walked, she turned around quickly, feeling like someone was watching her. But no one was there, so she cautiously resumed walking at a slightly faster pace, feet splashing quietly in the puddles. She convinced herself that she was just feeling on edge from the adrenaline pumping through her system, but that did nothing to calm her nerves.

 

**_Click._ **

 

Okay, she definitely heard that. She flipped around once again, ready to call for help if that jackass was behind her. But to her horror, it wasn’t him.

Silhouetted by the dimly lit alleyway was a six-foot-tall man, wearing a black cashmere suit and a matching fedora. His face was masked by the surrounding darkness, and Marinette couldn’t tell who he was. She caught the gleam of his icy blue eyes before he grabbed her slim wrist and twisted her arm behind her. She cried out in pain and felt the cool smoothness of metal against her temple.

“Do not scream,” he commanded in a deep voice, “and do not speak. You are to come with me and not resist.” Marinette merely nodded in reply. She’d seen enough movies to know what was pressed to her head. The man pulled her roughly in the opposite direction and pushed her down the alley. He kept her arm pressed firmly against her back, making sure to keep a tight hold on it. As they were about to turn down into a smaller corridor, Marinette heard a gunshot ring and bounce off the walls. She squeezed her eyes shut reflexively, fearing that the shot was for her.

Marinette stood as stiff as a board, trembling in fear. Suddenly, she felt gravity multiply as her body came crashing onto the wet cobblestone path. She tried to move, but couldn’t find the strength to lift herself. After a few moments, she heard the splash of footsteps approaching and peered up through the curtain of black hair that was sticking to her face.

 _Shoes,_ she thought as she saw black cap toes enter her field of view. Marinette laid on the ground for several moments before feeling the weight on her back shift. Immediately, she bolted upright and pressed her back against the wall. The rain was pouring now, obscuring her view of anything more than a few feet away. But there was one thing she saw _very_ clearly.

 

Blood.

 

Not her blood, but the blood of the man who tried to kidnap her. He laid face up on the ground, a bullet hole through his neck–just above his collarbone. She saw a trail of red liquid swirling through the puddles of water, pooling into crimson clouds around her feet.

Her thoughts went silent. Perhaps it was a result of the adrenaline, but Marinette couldn’t do anything but stare at the dead man before her. She knew him, she realized. The businessman from the bakery earlier that morning. Every part of her body was tense, ready to take flight if need be. The raven-haired girl continued to sit unmoving until a gloved hand swooped down and picked up the man’s gun.

Mustering as much control as she could, Marinette looked up at her savior. Once again, she saw someone she had never seen before. His messy blonde locks were glued to his forehead from the rain. He had green eyes, but they peered out from underneath a black mask that came to a sharp point at his nose. Even though she didn’t recognize this man, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had seen him somewhere before. As she peered up at his face, he adjusted the sleeve of his open blazer and kneeled down to her level.

“Hey,” he said in a silky voice, “You okay?” Marinette could only manage a weak nod. “Good. Now come on. We need to get you somewhere safe.”

Finally, her sensed kicked in. “I-I’m not going anywhere with you.” Marinette glared up at him. She didn’t know who he was or where he’d come from. But after what he did, it was safe to assume that he wasn’t trustworthy. He’d just killed a man, for Christ’s sake!

“I don’t have time for this,” he sighed. Grabbing her roughly, he slung the girl over his shoulder and covered her mouth with his hand.

“Mmph!” She tried to scream, but her sounds were muffled by his palm. She kicked and thrashed around–even pulled at his hair–but his grip held strong.

“Relax, I’m not going to hurt you!” He exclaimed, attempting to calm her down. “If you don’t stop moving I’ll be forced to sedate you.”

This got her to stop moving. Marinette didn’t relax, though she had enough common sense to realize it would be better if she were awake in case he really did try to abduct her. The man walked down the alleyway, unhindered by her weight on his shoulder. When they reached the mouth of the corridor she was thrown into the back seat of a car. The windows were tinted, so she was unable to see out of them as the blonde man closed the door on her and sat in the driver’s seat. He drove away as fast as possible, trying to get far away from the crime scene.

Marinette looked down at her hands as the light from the passing street lamps illuminated the leather interior of the car. They were covered in blood. The blood of a man that no longer walked the Earth. The remnants of her dinner threatened to come back up from the memory of his corpse lying on the cold stone pathway. She shook her head and stared at the back of the headrest and attempted to clear her thoughts.

 _Okay, let’s get this straight. My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I’m in the back of a car with a strange man going who knows where. I just saw a man get murdered on top of me. Normal Tuesday evening, huh?_ She tried to slip a bit of humor into her internal monologue, but it didn’t make her feel any better about the situation. _Maybe I can jump out of the car at the next light_. As she was contemplating the risk of exiting a vehicle into a busy street, the car turned and parked between two abandoned buildings.

The blonde man exited the car and opened her door for her. Marinette stepped out of the vehicle and into the rain once again, shivering as the icy water pelted her. The man noticed this and quickly pulled her towards a broken window in one of the buildings. Gesturing towards it, Marinette figured he wanted her to jump through it. She did just that, as she assumed it wouldn’t be a good idea to try and flee. High heels weren’t exactly suited for running, and that was ignoring the fact that the stranger had _at least_ two guns on him. Probably better to just stay quiet and do what he asked. After he joined her inside the building, he led her into a room just past an old desk or counter of some sort. Strangely enough, there was a fireplace with a roaring fire burning.

 _There are more people in here,_ she deduced, _unless he lit the fire before he left._ Marinette eyed the room nervously but saw no one else. But judging from the events earlier, just because she didn’t see anyone didn’t mean that they were alone. The man took off his blazer and draped it over the back of an elegant red armchair. Marinette saw two holstered guns strapped to his hip. She stayed silent and pressed her back up against the wall. The man sat down and waved a hand towards another chair but she shook her head. She didn’t want to be any closer than she was now.

“So,” he said, finally breaking the silence, “I suppose I should explain why I brought you here.” When Marinette didn’t respond, he smirked. “I’m not going to bite, I promise.”

“Why should I trust you?” She asked incredulously.

“Because I’m the only one who can help you.” Through his black leather mask, Marinette saw his green eyes narrow into a piercing glare. “Look, you’re being targeted. I don’t know why, and I need you to cooperate with me. Have you ever been involved with the Akumas?”

Marinette felt her blood run cold. She’d heard of the Akumas all right. They were an underground criminal organization that had been terrorizing Paris as of late. Their crimes had originally been nothing more than robberies, but they quickly began murdering civilians. The law enforcement had investigators and officers everywhere, but no one had ever caught an Akuma.

“No… But I know of them.” She inched forward ever so slightly out of curiosity but still kept her distance.

“They’re tracking you. I don’t know why, but that man from earlier was an Akuma agent. He was sent to capture you, but of course, I intervened.” His lips curled into a smirk once again, feeling like he would be rewarded with praise from Marinette.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re no better.” She glared at him, spitting out her words with disdain.

“You’d be correct.” His amused smile fell from his face but he didn’t elaborate further. Marinette raised her dark eyebrow at him, so he continued. “Just know that I don’t wish to harm you. In fact, I have a proposition.”

“And what would that be?” She asked, retracing her steps back to the wall. The man reached into the pocket of his blazer and produced a small hexagonal box. He set it on the coffee table in front of him and leaned back in his chair. She decided to trust him, if only this once, and approached the opposite side of the table. As she got closer she recognized worn out Chinese characters inlaid into the wooden exterior of the box. Marinette took it in her hands and ran her fingers over the smooth surface, not taking her eyes off the man for even a second. Slowly, she lifted the lid and opened the box.

 

Inside was a pair of pure black obsidian earrings.

 


	2. Black to Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per many requests from you guys, here is chapter two! c: 
> 
> TUMBLR: elioren.tumblr.com

 

 _Uhm… what the hell?_ Marinette ran her fingertips over the smooth stone earrings. Why in the world was he giving her jewelry? She raised her eyebrows at the blonde man, who was sitting across from her with anticipation.

“Earrings?” She asked incredulously, wondering if he’d given her the wrong box.

“Yes,” he confirmed, “Those aren’t just any earrings, either. They’re called a ‘Miraculous.’” Marinette looked back down at them with confusion, so he continued. “A Miraculous is a rare piece of jewelry that enhances the wearer’s abilities and equips them with a weapon befitting their Miraculous.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” She said, flicking her eyes back up to him.

“I'm not.” His mouth raised into a smirk.

“Alright, so how do your magic earrings work?”

“We’re not completely sure. They’re ancient, older than written history.”

“Are they dangerous?” She asked, praying she could entertain him enough to get out of here.

“To you? No.” His lips curled upwards once again. “But to anyone else, they can be devastating. They can create weapons more powerful than any other in existence–other than things such as atomic bombs.”

Marinette set the earrings back in the box and placed it back on the table. “Then why are you giving me this?”

“I want you to join me. If the Akumas are targeting you, you can bet they’ll be back soon. Especially since you’re aware of them now.” He took the agent’s gun out of his spare holster and placed it on the table next to the earrings. “I won’t always be able to protect you, and until we figure why you’re being followed and get rid of them, they won’t stop trying to capture or kill you. And don’t think that they won’t put a bullet through your brain, because they will–without any hesitation, I might add.”

“Who...Who are you?” She asked, the realization dawning on her that she was still alone with a complete stranger.

“My name is Chat Noir. Well, that’s what my associates call me, anyway.”

“Your associates…?” She asked, ignoring the strange alias he gave. So there _were_ other people here after all.

“Yes, and each of us has our own Miraculous.” Chat Noir lifted his right hand and removed his glove, displaying a black ring with a glowing green paw print in the center. “They have the fox necklace, turtle bracelet, and bee hair comb. Those earrings are the ladybug Miraculous, one of the most powerful two in existence.”

“What’s yours?” She asked, pointing at his ring.

“Mine is the black cat, the counterpart of the ladybug.” He pushed the box back towards her once again. “Go ahead, try them on.”

Marinette eyed the box suspiciously, still not believing his story. Although, he hadn’t done anything for her to question his honesty. After all, they were just earrings. What harm could come from them? She bent down and picked the box up once again, opening the hinged lid. She took the jewelry in her hand and put them on, clipping the backs on securely.

“Now what?” She asked.

“Now,” Chat Noir informed her, “with the intention to activate their powers, run your fingers over the surface of the earrings.” This was all beyond strange, but she did as she was told. Marinette closed her eyes and touched them lightly, thinking whatever thoughts seemed right.

 _I want… powers? No… Activate!_ After a few seconds, nothing happened. She opened her eyes and arched an eyebrow at the man before her, who sighed quietly.

“Well, it was worth a shot. At first, a lot of us had to use spoken phrases to release their seals. I was wondering if you could make it work without practice, but it seems you’re in the same boat as all of us. Try saying ‘spots on,’ that should do the trick.”

“Spots on?” She questioned. Suddenly, she felt a rush of energy engulf her body accompanied by a blinding pink flash. When the light receded, Marinette looked at her hands. She didn’t see anything different, but she felt… stronger–like she could crush an apple with one hand or break a brick in half. “What happened?”

“Like I said before, you activated them.” Chat Noir gestured towards an old mirror on the wall. “Look at yourself.”

Marinette crossed the room to the foggy mirror, heels clacking on the wooden floorboards. When she looked into the reflective surface she saw herself, though strangely, she also seemed new. Her eyes were covered by a red mask with five symmetrical black circles on it. In addition, the earrings had gone from pure black to red, with the same spots as the mask. Her features hadn’t changed, but she saw that her skin seemed to glow a little more, brightening her complexion.

“What...what is this?” She stared into her own blue eyes, the realization dawning on her that he was telling the truth.

“It’s a disguise. Each miraculous gives the wearer a mask as well as a protective aura that prevents anyone from discovering their identities.” He paused and smirked up at her once again. “However, if I were to tell you who I am, the aura would be useless.”

“So, you know who I am already, but other people won’t be able to?” She asked, touching the mask with her fingertips.

“Nope, not unless you explicitly told them. It’s quite useful, really. Especially in our line of work.”

“I would think so.” She sighed and sat down in the chair across from him, still looking at her hands. “I have to admit, I thought you were insane.”

“Who says I’m not?” A few seconds passed with Marinette staring at him with one brow raised. He chuckled and held up both his hands. “I’m kidding. You shouldn’t take everything so seriously, Princess.”

 _Princess?_ She thought. Ignoring the nickname, she raised her eyes to meet his. “So what now?”

“That all depends on you,” Chat said, lowering his voice into a serious tone, “Will you join me and stop the perpetrators? Or will you stand idly by and allow them to attack more innocents?” He extended his gloved hand towards her, giving her a chance to think it over. Without missing a beat, Marinette leaned forward, stretched her arm out, and clasped his hand.

“Welcome aboard, Ladybug.”

 

* * *

 

“Marinette! The cupcakes!”

“Sorry, _Maman!_ I’ll get them right now!” Marinette scrambled to the kitchen to retrieve a red velvet cupcake order for her mother. Ever since the events a few nights prior, she hadn’t been able to focus on anything. She was messing up orders, dropping plates, and bumping into customers almost every few minutes. She hadn’t heard anything from Chat Noir either, even though he’d given her a flip phone to keep in contact with him. He was very clear that its number was only for him and his associates, however, he still had yet to introduce them.

“Honey, what’s gotten into you recently? You’re so scatterbrained,” Sabine chided gently.

“I’ve just had a lot on my mind.” She didn’t elaborate, which lead to her mother making her own assumptions.

“Ah, I see. Is this about Adrien again?”

“W-What makes you think that?”

“Oh, please. Anyone with eyes could see that you’ve been head over heels for him since graduation.” Marinette’s face flushed but her attention was stolen by the ringing of a bell before she could retort.

“Morning, Mari!” The man himself sauntered into the bakery for the first time in a few days.

“H-Hey, Adrien!” She called back, trying to ignore her mother’s smirk, “What would you like this morning?”

“I’ll have a cinnamon roll with a coffee.” He pulled out his wallet and handed her a few bills, sitting down at his usual seat by the window. Marinette got his order ready and went to serve it to him, setting the plate and mug down gently on the table.  
“So, what did Monsieur Agreste say about your next job?” She asked as she sat down across from him. Luckily, the bakery wasn’t too busy this morning.

“Not too much. Just that I’m going to model his next shoe line.”

“Well, you have nice… feet?” She mentally scolded herself, because _that_ didn’t sound weird at all. _Oh yeah, just compliment the guy’s elbows or something while you’re at it._

“Thanks?” Adrien replied, not sure how to take that. “So,” he continued, “Anything interesting happen recently?”

Marinette panicked for a split second before remembering he would have no way of knowing about Chat Noir. “I went on another date a few days ago.”

“Let me guess: a disaster, as always.” She had told Adrien about her dating failures before, and he found the stories quite amusing.

“Yep. You’d think I would have met at least one decent guy in Paris by now, but you’d be wrong.” She sighed and rested her chin in her palm, glaring out the window.

“Give me the deets. What went down this time?” He sipped at his coffee and Marinette noted that he liked it black.

“He seemed nice at first, but after he got drunk–which, side note, he got drunk off of half a bottle of merlot–he turned into a complete ass. He openly explained everything he sees women as, which is nothing more than objects, and that he only wanted to get in my pants. Even after I left him at the restaurant he still tried to follow me.”

“Wow, that’s rough. How’d you get him away from you?”

“I… uh… stepped on his foot and pushed him into a puddle on the side of the road.” Marinette felt the blush creep to her cheeks as Adrien’s laughter filled the room. The sound of his voice could make the world sing his praises.

“N-no way! You’re still as feisty as ever,” he chuckled.

“Shut up. I’m swearing off dating from now on. At least online dating.”

“I don’t blame you. And honestly, if it was anyone else, I would be really concerned about you going out with those creeps. But I know you can handle yourself.” Marinette smiled back at him, though she was a little disappointed. On the one hand, Adrien thought she was strong. On the other, she sort of wished he would worry about her. Her mind filled with thoughts of him coming to her rescue with his blonde hair flowing in the wind, holding her close, and leaning in before he–

 _NOPE. Nope nope nope nope. You are_ not _going to daydream about Adrien while he is sitting across from you._ She shook her head lightly to clear her thoughts. Meanwhile, the blonde on the other side of the table finished the last few bites of his cinnamon roll.

“Well, I have to go now, Marinette. ” Adrien stood and brushed the crumbs off his coat. “I’ve got a fitting my next shoot.”

“Try not to die of boredom,” she said as she grabbed his empty plate and coffee mug.

“Will do. See you later!” He waved back to her as he exited the bakery, and Marinette did her best to ignore her mother’s smirk.

“Nice feet, huh?” Sabine chuckled.

 

* * *

 

Marinette sat on her couch watching television while she ate her dinner. The bakery closed at four o’clock in during the summer, unless someone came to pick up an order. Most people didn’t get coffee and pastries in the evening, so there wasn’t any point in staying open later than they needed to.

As Marinette watched the news, listening closely for any mention of criminal activity, her phone chimed. Not her smartphone, but the sleek red flip phone Chat Noir had given her. Slowly, she set her plate down on the coffee table and opened the phone, reading the message that was sent.

 

**_C.N. 5:36 PM - Tonight, 8:30. Champ de Mars. I’ll pick you up from there._ **

 

He didn’t explain further, so Marinette began clicking away at the keys.

 

**_L.B. 5:37 PM - Why? What’s going on?_ **

 

**_C.N. 5:41 PM - Questions later. Bring the earrings._ **

 

Marinette knew Chat Noir wouldn’t go into detail over text. After all, he didn’t know who else was with her. He was probably just being safe, though it still annoyed her. She snapped her phone shut and stood up from the couch, walking to the kitchen to clean her plate. After she was done, she ascended the staircase to her room. She opened the drawer of her vanity, removing the small box she’d been given by Chat Noir. She hadn’t touched the earrings since that night, and frankly, was in no rush to. Everything seemed so unreal, and she tried to push it out of her mind as much as possible.

Marinette knew she’d made a hasty decision, but she wasn’t one to stand on the sidelines when innocents could be saved–saved by her. There was something she could do, and she wasn’t about to cower in the corner. Lifting the earrings from the box, she clipped them into place on her earlobes. She didn’t release their power, but instead just stared at herself in the mirror, much like she had days before. Placing the box back in the drawer, she went to get ready to meet the man in the mask once again.

 

* * *

 

 

Marinette checked her phone–8:30 on the dot. She didn’t see Chat Noir anywhere, but it was pretty dark out. She stood underneath a lamp, hoping he’d be able to spot her bright red skirt. She figured if she was going to have a red mask, she might as well go all out and match her outfit too. She wore a red skirt, ¾ sleeved black blouse, and black knee-high stockings with black boots. Her hair was loose, falling in loose waves around her shoulders.

A few more minutes passed and Marinette felt a light tap on her shoulder. She spun around and came face to face with Chat Noir. His attire was semi-formal; he wore black fitted slacks and a matching black blazer and a white shirt underneath, very similar to what he wore before. Of course, he still wore his mask, even in public.

“Hello, madame. Lovely evening for a stroll, isn’t it?” He bowed, causing Marinette to roll her eyes.

“What do you want, cat?” She was in no mood for his theatrics. He’d dragged her out of her house without explaining anything, not to mention that he hadn’t contacted her at all until now.

Chat seemed to get the message. “It’s time for you to meet my associates. And since you don’t know where our base is, I figured I’d be a gentleman and give you a ride.”

“Gee, thanks.” Marinette allowed herself to be led to his car, where she slumped into the passenger’s seat and buckled the seatbelt. Chat closed the door behind her, circling the car to the driver’s side. He got in and began driving, heading to the abandoned hotel once again. However, when they arrived, Chat didn’t unlock the door. Marinette turned to him and raised a questioning eyebrow, and he chuckled.

“You’ll need to put on your disguise. We don’t want people knowing who we are.”

“But aren’t these your associates? Why can’t I trust them?”

“It has nothing to do with trust. If one of us gets captured by the Akumas we don’t want to give up our identities through interrogation. It’s better this way.” Marinette realized he was right. With the right techniques, the enemy could get any information they wanted from them.

“Spots on!” She felt the familiar rush of energy and lifted her fingers to her face, feeling the mask underneath. She was Ladybug.

“Good, let’s go.” Chat unlocked the doors and led Ladybug to the front doors of the hotel. He pulled out a rusted key and unlocked them, swinging the large wooden panels open with a push of his hand.

“Why’d we go through the window when you had the key?” Ladybug asked.

“I only found the key yesterday. We aren’t exactly renting this place.” The lights were on now, at least some of them. Most of the fixtures were broken, but there were some sconces that still had electricity. Ladybug could see that this place was gorgeous, or was at one point. The wallpaper was peeling and parts of the walls were cracked, but she could imagine 1920’s aristocrats walking the halls.

The pair passed the room from the other night and ascended the grand staircase to the second floor. There was a large lounge area, the moonlight pouring in from the tall windows. There was even an old fountain in the center of the room. Sitting in the old chairs was a group of people–two women and a man.

“Seriously, Chat. Will you ever show up on time?” A blonde woman spoke.

“I’m actually going to side with Bumble on this one, dude,” the man said, “You two were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago.”

“I told you not to call me Bumble,” she huffed, glaring at him from beneath her yellow mask.

“Well, we’re not going to call you Queen,” the other woman said, her orange mask crinkling as she furrowed her eyebrows.

“Okay guys, I’m sorry I was late,” he paused, taking in their unamused expressions, “again. But this is more important than my punctuality.” He turned and placed his hand on the small of Ladybug’s back. “Everyone, this is Ladybug.”

“H-Hi,” Ladybug said shyly. She wasn’t used to being introduced to people.

The woman in the orange mask stood up enthusiastically, her long, wavy hair bobbing. “Hey, Ladybug! I’m Volpina. You probably got the rundown on Miraculouses by now, right?”

“Yeah, Chat explained them to me the other day.”

“That’s good, mine’s the Fox Miraculous.” She held up a necklace in the shape of an orange fox tail.

“I’m Queen Bee.” The blonde girl stood and pointed to her hair comb, which was firmly in place at the base of her ponytail. “This is my Miraculous.”

“So you have the Bee Miraculous then?” Ladybug asked.

“Wow, you’re not as incompetent as you look.” This earned her a glare from everyone else, but she ignored them.

“I’m Tortue de Fer, or Iron Turtle,” the tan man said, “You can guess which one I’ve got.” He held up his bracelet, which had a jade pendant on it in the shape of a turtle.

“It’s nice to meet all of you.” Ladybug was relieved. With how little she’d heard about Chat Noir’s associates, she had expected them to be scary–like mob bosses or something.

“Volpina is our poison supplier,” Chat said, “Tortue is the explosives and tech expert, and Queen Bee handles weapons.”

Ladybug took back her relief. They may not look it, but these people were deadly. “What will I do?” She asked.

“You, Ladybug,” Chat continued, “are going to be out on the field with me.” Queen Bee glared daggers at Ladybug but said nothing.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Yes, but I’ll be there to keep you from getting hurt.”

“I don’t want your protection,” Ladybug said bluntly, “I want to be able to protect myself.”

Tortue chuckled. “You’re right, Chat. She’s certainly got a mind of her own.”

“Yeah, I know.” The blonde man sighed in exasperation. “If you want to defend yourself, you’re going to need training.”

“Who will train me?”

“Queen Bee.”

The blonde woman stared at her nails, seemingly uninterested in the conversation. _Great,_ Ladybug thought, _the one person that can train me and she already hates me. Maybe Volpina could do it, she seems nice._

“If I may ask, why Queen Bee?” Ladybug hoped her disapproval wasn’t too obvious.

“She’s the best at combat, besides me. I would do it myself, but I’ve got a very busy schedule.”

“Yeah,” Volpina said, “Tortue and I aren’t great fighters. We tend to aid from afar.”

“Well,” Chat said, changing the subject, “I’ll leave you to get acquainted. I’ll be in room thirteen if you need me.” He quickly exited the lounge and left the four of them alone, awkward tension filling the air.

“I’ve actually got to head out too,” Tortue said, “I have this new bomb I’ve been working on and need to put the finishing touches on it.”

“Same,” Volpina spoke, “I’ve gotta get up early for my job. But on the bright side, Ladybug and her new trainer get a chance to get to know each other.”

“You two are _not_ leaving me alone to babysit the newbie,” Queen growled.

“Sorry, Bumble!” Volpina called back, “Can’t sleep on the job!” Tortue and Volpina left, closing the huge doors behind them. Ladybug looked over at Queen Bee, who was absolutely fuming.

“You,” she said, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at Ladybug, “Saturday at 9 o’clock. Don’t be late.”

“Late for what?” Ladybug asked, annoyed at this girl’s attitude.

 

“Your training, idiot.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What does Queenie have in store for Marinette, I wonder?


	3. Talking With Fists

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than I would have liked, but oh well. I'll try to make the next one longer! 
> 
> Tumblr: elioren.tumblr.com

 

_“Your training, idiot.”_

 

To say that Marinette Dupain-Cheng had a bad feeling about that day was the understatement of the century. She stood in front of the large wooden doors of the old hotel, dread finally surfacing. Not only were her parents upset that she was skipping out on work on a Saturday morning, but Queen Bee was going to train her today, and that alone was more than enough reason to feel uneasy. For some reason, the haughty blonde seemed to greatly dislike her, despite them only speaking a few sentences to each other.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her keychain, which had a strange old key on it now. Chat Noir had given her the spare key before she left the hotel a few nights before, and had, once again, not contacted her since. She unlocked the doors and walked in, trudging her tired feet up to the lounge when she saw a familiar blonde ponytail out of the corner of her eye.

“Well,” Queen Bee said, “at least you’re more punctual than that cat.” She crossed the room and passed Ladybug, going down the stairs she had just ascended.

“Where are we going?” The red-masked girl asked.

“There’s a reason Chat chose this building as our headquarters. Back in its heyday, it had a recreation room and bar in the basement. And for some reason, it also had a shooting range.”

“Is it safe to be shooting guns in this place?” Ladybug asked, eyeing the crumbling walls.

“Probably not, but we can’t exactly go to a public one, so we use it for training.” They reached another set of stairs that lead below the hotel and when they arrived at the bottom, there was another set of double doors. Queen Bee pulled out her keys, which had a little bee keychain on it, and unlocked them.

When the doors swung open, Ladybug saw walls lined with as many weapons as she could think of. Guns ranging from pistols to semi-automatic rifles were littered across the room. There were also grenades, throwing knives, and even some longer blades. Various workout equipment was also scattered around, like weights and barbells.

She felt the weight of the situation finally dawn on her. The guns reminded her of the night she was almost kidnapped, and she remembered the man’s cold body lying in the rain. She saw the blood, so much blood. She never knew who he was, but she had witnessed his final moments of life.

Just as her mind was beginning to fall down a rabbit hole, Queen Bee clapped her on the back roughly. “Stop spacing out, we’ve got work to do.” The blonde set a bag down that Ladybug hadn’t noticed her carrying before, pulling out two bundles of clothes. “I knew you wouldn’t bring exercise gear, so I got some for you. There’s a wall over there you can change behind.”

Ladybug took the clothes and did as Queen Bee suggested. She walked over to another area to change, stripping her casual outfit and replacing it with the black shorts and red sports bra. It showed more skin than she was used to, but it was only her and Queen anyways.

When she emerged, Queen had changed into her own athletic clothes. Her yellow and black sports bra matched Ladybug’s, but she was wearing leggings instead of shorts. She was twirling a throwing knife in her hand with practiced ease but stopped its motion when she saw Ladybug.

“So I did pick the right size. Anyways, hurry and get over here; I need to see where your athletic abilities are.” Ladybug did as she was told and waited for her next instruction. “Stretch for ten minutes. I’ll come back when you’re done.”

Ten minutes later, Ladybug felt like her muscles were sufficiently loosened. Queen Bee returned soon after, just as she said she would. The blonde motioned for Ladybug to come over to the scale and weighed her.

“Jesus, you’re really light. We’ll have to put some muscle on those bones if you’re going to be out on the field with Chat.” Ladybug noticed how Queen’s upper lip curled in annoyance but didn’t understand why.

“How are we going to train?” Ladybug asked, stepping off the scale.

“First, I want you to try and get a hit in on me. I doubt you’d be able to though.” Queen Bee smirked at Ladybug arrogantly as they walked back to where she had stretched.

“We’ll see.” Ladybug felt her competitive side begin to shine as she and Queen stood off. Suddenly, Ladybug saw a flash of yellow as Queen dashed towards her with blinding speed, fist pulled back. Ladybug bent backward, nearly toppling over as she dodged the hit. She could feel the power from her Miraculous begin to flow through her veins, empowering her and heightening her reflexes. The red-clad girl attempted to sweep Queen’s feet out from under her, but the blonde saw it coming from a mile away. She jumped over Ladybug’s outstretched leg and sent her own kick tumbling down to where the other girl was crouched. Ladybug rolled to the left, narrowly avoiding getting struck.

She managed to get back on her feet as Queen ran towards her once again, and Ladybug noticed she was playing slightly more defensively than before. Her arms were crossed in front of her instead of pulled back for another hit.  
_Looks like I’m not as bad as she thought,_ Ladybug’s inner voice said smugly. The two girls traded dodges for several more minutes, neither able to hit the other. They began to grow tired as beads of sweat formed on their brows, trailing down the sides of their faces. They stood facing each other, neither making a move.

It was then that Queen Bee decided to end this farce and rushed Ladybug once again. The dark haired girl felt the cool surface of the wall behind her–there was nowhere to run now. She was in the corner of the room and if she tried to escape to her open side, Queen would definitely expect that. With the blonde closing in on her, time seemed to slow as Ladybug scanned her surroundings, looking for a way out. When Queen was a mere three feet away, Ladybug mustered all her strength to push herself off the ground and wall hop around her, taking her by surprise. Queen fumbled as Ladybug spun around behind her, bringing her leg up and crashing it into the blonde’s side, sending her to the ground.

She had won.

The two girls heard a whistle from the doorway. “Holy shit, Ladybug,” Chat Noir said, leaning against the doorframe, “how did you do that?”

 _How long has he been standing there?_ Ladybug thought. “I.. Uh…” she fumbled, not sure herself. “I took gymnastics when I was a kid?”

“No,” Queen Bee interjected, leaning against the wall, “that was more than gymnastics. It was like you’d been fighting your entire life.”

“Maybe it’s her Miraculous,” Chat said. “They do enhance our abilities, but I’ve never seen this much power come from one before. Seems like my lady has more talent than I bargained for!” Ladybug heard a ‘hmph’ from behind her as Queen flipped her ponytail out of the way.

“Maybe. But she’s still inexperienced and needs to be able to defend herself without her Miraculous. I wouldn’t send her out on a mission if I were you.”

“I wasn’t planning on it just yet,” Chat said, “But we can’t delay forever. The Akumas will strike again, and we have to be ready when they do.”

“Yeah.” Queen Bee paused as she remembered something. “What did you come down here for anyways?”

“Tortue brought lunch. He asked me to come down here and get you guys. Something tells me he didn’t want to be caught in a match between you two.”

Ladybug chuckled and nodded, walking towards the doorway where Chat was. He was eyeing her strangely, she noticed. When she quirked an eyebrow at him he looked away, the slightest tinge of pink rising to his cheeks.

“You should probably change your attire before heading up,” the blonde man said, scratching his jaw awkwardly.

Ladybug looked down and realized she was still only wearing a sports bra and shorts, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. She yelped and crossed her arms over her chest, turning around to change behind the wall once again. When she reemerged, only Queen Bee was in the room, waiting for her turn to change.

“Chat left a second ago,” she said, “Hurry and go upstairs.” Ladybug glared at her, still annoyed with her unexplained rudeness.

“Look, did I do something to piss you off?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“None of your business,” Queen replied, returning her glare.

“It sure as hell is my business! From the second I met you you’ve been nothing but snobbish and rude. So tell me if I did something to upset you so I can apologize for it and move on!”

“Fine,” she snapped, “You want to know what you did? I’ve been trying to get Chat Noir to let me on the field for years, and he suddenly lets you go without a second thought? What the hell is with that? And secondly, you’re just as good, if not better, than me at hand-to-hand combat without a day of training!”

“You think that’s my fault? And I would gladly let you go in my place, but he doesn’t seem like the type to change his mind.”

“Whatever. Just go eat whatever greasy excuse for food that turtle brought. I’m out of here.” She grabbed her bag and left, not bothering to change first. Ladybug sighed and ascended the staircase, heading into the once-extravagant dining hall. She saw Chat, Volpina, and Tortue de Fer sitting around one of the round tables, each with a paper bag from a nearby fast food restaurant. Tortue saw her approaching and waved her over, catching the attention of the other two.

“Hey Ladybug!” He called, “Where’s Queen Bitch?” Volpina choked on her burger, requiring Tortue to pat her on the back.

“She–uh… Had to go somewhere.” Ladybug sat down and looked at the food, unsure which bag was hers. “Thanks for the food, Tortue.”

“No problem! I remembered you and Blondie were training today and thought you could use some fuel. Oh,” he handed her the bag on her left, “this one is yours. I didn’t know what you liked so I just got you a plain burger and fries. There’s ketchup in the bag if you want it.”

The group ate their food, exchanging small talk as they did. Ladybug didn’t know how much time passed; she hadn’t had this much fun since high school with Adrien. The only one that didn’t speak was Chat Noir, who chewed his burger in silence. Whenever Ladybug tried to initiate a conversation with him, he’d look away from her or reply in a way that steered the topic away from him. She hoped she hadn’t upset him as well; he seemed fine when they were in the basement.

“So,” Volpina said, wiping the corner of her mouth with her thumb, “How’d training with Queen Bee go?”

“It went… well. At least I hope so. What do you think, Chat?” Ladybug asked, turning towards the blonde man next to her.

Chat glanced back at her before turning his gaze elsewhere. “It did, you’re a natural. She even managed to get a hit in on Queen.”

“No way!” Tortue exclaimed, “Alya and I didn’t even get close. She sent both our butts to the ground with a single kick.”

“I think it was because of my Miraculous, not my own power.” Ladybug fiddled with her earrings absentmindedly as she spoke.

“In time, I think you could fight her without your Miraculous,” Chat said. Ladybug felt a sense of fulfillment from his praise, though she would never tell him so. She looked up at him, his strong features outlined by the setting sun. It almost reminded her of someone else’s profile, one that she had seen for many years–

 _Wait… Sunset?!_ Ladybug stood from the table quickly, nearly knocking over her chair in the process. The other three jumped, startled by her sudden reaction.

“My parents are going to kill me!” She cried, checking her phone for any missed messages, “I promised them I’d be back before noon!”

“Did you take the subway here?” Volpina asked.

“Yeah, and the next train isn’t for another forty minutes.”

“I can take-” Volpina started.

“I’ll drive you.” Chat Noir interrupted, brushing the crumbs off his shirt as he stood. He grabbed his coat off the back of the chair and began walking to the hotel entrance.

“I-uh…” Ladybug’s eyes flicked between Volpina and Chat, but the girl merely exchanged a glance with Tortue and gave Ladybug a thumbs up.

“Go on, it’s fine. Something tells me you two have something to talk about anyways.” Ladybug did as she said and followed Chat Noir outside, where she saw him leaning against his black Mercedes Benz. The two got in the car and drove off, heading towards the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Ladybug slumped back in her seat and allowed her transformation to reverse, turning her back into Marinette.

“Ack!” She grunted, “Without the Miraculous, I can really feel the effects of the training.” The girl rubbed her shoulders, feeling the dull pain coursing through them.

“Yeah, that’ll happen.” Chat Noir kept his eyes on the road, not sparing her a single glance.

Marinette sighed. “Look, did I do something wrong?”

“What?” The blonde turned his head towards her, finally making eye contact.

“You’ve been avoiding me all day. I’m just wondering if I’ve done anything that might’ve upset you.” She looked out the window, suddenly feeling awkward.

“N-No… Not exactly.”

 _Did he just stutter?_ Marinette had him pegged as cool and aloof, albeit slightly dorky at times. Something must be wrong for him to lose his composure. She looked back at him, waiting for him to continue.

“I’ve simply had a lot on my mind,” he finished, fingers gripping the steering wheel ever so slightly.

“Is it the Akumas?” Marinette asked, bright blue eyes looking up at him.

Chat Noir swallowed as he glanced down at her but quickly looked away. “Yeah. They’ve been growing more active and we still don’t know what their next move will be.” He pulled up next to the bakery, unlocking the doors for her to get out.

Marinette turned her body towards him and placed her hand on his. “We’ll figure something out. I know I’m not of much help right now, but I’ll do everything I can.” Her eyes shone with determination, captivating Chat Noir.

He let out a deep chuckle and clasped tiny hand in his. “I know, Princess. Thank you. Now go, your parents will probably want to know where you’ve been.”

“Crap, you’re right. I’ll see you later!” She got out of the car and watched him drive off, his sleek car disappearing from her line of sight. Marinette sighed and opened the back door of the bakery when she was promptly stopped by her mother.

“Marinette! Where have you been?” She asked, holding several boxes in her arms.

“I’m so sorry, _Maman!_ I met up with some friends and completely lost track of time.” She grabbed some of the boxes from Sabine’s hands, helping her bring them to the kitchen. When she set them down, Sabine placed her hand on her daughter’s back.

“Marinette… There’s something your father and I have been meaning to talk to you about.”

 

* * *

 

Chat Noir leaned back in his seat. Marinette was _so_ dense sometimes. Sure, the thing about the Akumas was true, but that wasn’t what had his mind so occupied all day. Ever since he saw her in that workout gear with her sweat glistening on her skin, rolling down her collarbone only to get lost within her cleav–No, he shouldn’t be thinking about that. Marinette was his best friend, he wouldn’t risk ruining that by thinking impure thoughts.

He had no idea where these ideas had come from. He’d experimented a little with relationships in college, but nothing ever felt right. And he _certainly_ never thought about Marinette in _that_ light before. When they were teenagers, she had just been a friend. But when he came back three months before, she had completely changed. She was extremely cute–no, beautiful. Marinette made the room light up with her presence, and her laughter turned the heads of everyone nearby.

He’d always had a crush on Marinette, though he knew she would never see him the same way. In her mind, he would always be the nerdy boy she spent her teen years playing _Ultimate Mecha Strike III_ with.

The blonde sighed once again and ran his fingers through his silky hair. Maybe Chat Noir was exactly what he needed. But Marinette would never forgive him if he used his alter ego to attempt to make a move on her. His fingers tapped on the steering wheel as he pulled up to his apartment, turning the engine off with a turn of the key. He got out of the car and headed for the sidewalk, his mind racing with thoughts of the cute girl at the bakery. As he pulled out his cellphone to send her a text, he didn’t notice the shadowy figure posing as a passerby creeping up behind him.

 

Then, his world faded into darkness.

 


	4. Guns and Shackles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY MOTHER OF CHEESE AND CRACKERS I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS TOOK SO LONG 
> 
> Here is the long-awaited chapter four. Enjoy!
> 
> Tumblr:  
> elioren.tumblr.com

 

“Marinette… There’s something your father and I have been meaning to talk to you about.” Sabine lead her daughter upstairs into the living room, where her father was also waiting.

“Uhm… Am I in trouble?” Marinette asked, eyeing her parents cautiously.

“No no, not at all!” Sabine chuckled, though her expression grew somber. “My father is… well, he’s very ill.”

“Your mother and I have been debating whether or not to go to Zhouzhuang to take care of him, but his condition suddenly got worse,” Tom added.

“Grandpa Changpu is sick?” Marinette said sadly. She had fond memories of her grandfather from when she was little, when her parents had time to visit him in China. He used to take her on boat rides in the canals that ran through the town in the spring.

“Yes, he has pneumonia,” Sabine replied, “No one else can care for him right now, so my brother called and asked if we could come.”

“But what about the bakery?” Marinette asked.

“We’d close it while we’re in China,” Tom continued, “We wanted to know if you’d like to come with us. Though, this would be a good opportunity for you to look at design jobs.”

Marinette realized that while she did want to see her grandfather, she couldn’t leave Paris without letting the other Miraculous holders know. “I… I’ll have to think about it.”

“Alright, honey,” Sabine said, “Just let us know before next Monday.”

Marinette nodded and left, heading up the stairs to her room. She pulled out her miraculous phone, letting it light up the room. From her lock screen, she saw that someone had sent her a text. She opened her inbox and scrolled through the messages, feeling her heart sink as her eyes landed on the most recent one.

  


**_C.N. 6:17 PM: SOS._ **

 

* * *

 

Ladybug burst into the building, large doors slamming behind her. Queen Bee, Volpina, and Tortue De Fer were waiting for her, all standing around an unlit fireplace.

“Where the _hell_ were you?” Queen Bee screeched, “Chat Noir sent that message nearly thirty minutes ago!”

“Sorry,” Ladybug retorted sarcastically, “I don’t exactly have a car. Chat’s been my chauffeur recently.”

“Whatever,” the blonde said, “There are more important problems right now. In all the time I’ve known him, Chat has _never_ needed help.”

Tortue nodded. “Yeah. Who was the last one to see him?”

“That’d be Ladybug,” Volpina said, “He drove her home.”

“Yeah, he dropped me off and we got that text about ten minutes later.”

“Did you see where he went afterward?” Tortue asked.

“Sort of,” Ladybug told them, “I saw which direction he went in.”

“Take us there,” Queen demanded, “I’m driving.”

 

Fifteen minutes later, they passed the Dupain-Cheng bakery. She didn’t say anything about it, but told them where she saw him go. Queen turned down the same street, keeping an eye out for any sign of Chat. They all scanned the areas outside their windows, but saw nothing. Then, after about a mile, Ladybug tapped on the glass.

“There!” She yelled, “It’s his car!” The others turned to where she was pointing and saw a nondescript black Mercedes.

“You sure?” Queen asked, parking behind it.

“Yes, it’s the same license plate.” She pointed to the rectangular sheet of metal on the back bumper.

“Why do you know his plates?” Tortue asked, quirking his eyebrow at her.

“It’s not like I memorized it or something,” Ladybug hesitated, “I saw when he was driving away. It has the same letters.”

“Still…” Tortue trailed off.

“What?” Ladybug asked, glaring at him.

“Nothing. Let’s find that cat.”   
They inspected his car from the outside, but didn’t see anything suspicious. The inside was clean, exactly as it always was. Ladybug leaned against a nearby building, searching for any clues. The sun was beginning to set, they wouldn’t be able to see anything soon. Her eyes carefully scanned the ground, looking for footprints, bullets, or anything else. She glanced into an alleyway between the buildings, but all she saw was trash. As gross as it was, there might be clues in there.

Ladybug kneeled down next to the garbage, resisting the urge to turn away from the smell. She pushed some of the bags to the side but didn’t see anything at first. Just as she decided it was just trash after all, her fingers brushed against something soft. She grabbed it and held it up to the light as Volpina appeared behind her.   
“What’s that?” The taller girl asked.

“Some cloth. It’s high quality, too. Look, there’s even embroiderment.” She handed it to Volpina, who brought it to her nose and took a big sniff. Ladybug almost proclaimed her disgust, but Volpina swayed slightly, leaning against the wall for support.

“Chloroform. It’s mostly worn off by now, but this was a pretty big dose. Especially considering it was used over an hour ago.” She turned towards the others, calling them over to join them. They shared their findings, and Queen Bee took the cloth in her hands.

“H.M.,” she read aloud. “Hawkmoth.”

“How could Chat have gotten caught by the Aukmas?” Tortue asked to no one in particular.

“I don’t know,” Volpina replied, “He’s always so focused.”   
“Why are we sitting around doing nothing?” Queen declared, “Let’s go. We have to find him.”

“Wait!” Ladybug exclaimed. The group turned to her, confused by her outburst. “Why would they leave that here?” She asked.

“Who cares?” Queen said, turning back to her car again.

“No!” Ladybug cried, grabbing her wrist, “We can’t go into this blindly. Think: That cloth wasn’t just left on the ground, it was hidden. Someone planted it for us to find. They _want_ us to come to them.”

They all grew silent, reflecting on what she said. They knew she was right but didn’t know what she wanted them to do.

“So, what now?” Tortue inquired.

“We have to go into this cautiously. We won’t have the element of surprise; they’ll be expecting us. Moreover, having a group of four people charging into their base wouldn’t be wise.”

“How many then?” Queen asked.

“One,” Tortue answered, holding up a single finger. They all looked at him, urging him to continue. “I have software that can hack into their mainframe and access their cameras. But I’ve only got one communicator with me, and it would be too difficult to communicate with three people through one person.” They nodded, but that still left one question up in the air.

“So, who goes in?” Volpina asked.

“I think Queen Bee should go,” Ladybug said, catching everyone by surprise. At their startled expressions, she elaborated further. “She’s the most experienced and better at using weapons than us.”

“I vote for Ladybug,” Volpina declared, “Chat personally said she’s the only one to go out on the field with him. We should trust his judgment.”

Tortue nodded in agreement. “Chat Noir is the boss, and if he thinks she’s good enough, she must be.” Ladybug glanced at Queen Bee, who was staring at her nails. It was something that she did quite often, though Ladybug didn’t know why.

“Whatever,” the blonde said, “as long as she doesn’t screw up.”

“I’ll try not to,” Ladybug said. Volpina gave her a reassuring smile, though they all knew what was at stake.

 

* * *

 

**_Black._ **

  
That was all Chat Noir saw. He tried to look around, but the grogginess in his head made it hard to do so. As his eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings, he realized he wasn’t completely enveloped in darkness. He could see a table, some chairs, and a large metal door on one end of the room. Some bottles were strewn about on top of the table, and he could read the label on one of them.

 

 _Chloroform–_ **_WARNING: HIGH CONCENTRATION._ **

 

 _Great,_ Chat thought, _someone managed to get the jump on me. I should’ve been paying more attention._ He tried to get up, but realized his hands were bound above his head. He looked up and saw metal chains dangling from the ceiling and concluded that this was definitely the work of the Akumas.

If he could get to his phone he could call for Ladybug and the other Miraculous holders. His feet weren’t shackled, so he attempted to lift himself off the ground. The metal cut into his wrists and he grunted, continuing despite the pain. He flipped his legs over and heard his cell phone slip out of his pocket and land on the ground with a clack.

The plain smartphone was undamaged, luckily. However, it was his personal cell, not the one he used for “business.” Chat couldn’t feel his other phone anywhere, and that was the one with everyone on speed dial. He looked around again, hoping to see it on the floor as well. When he didn’t, his eyes flicked to the table. Sure enough, there it was. They probably found one phone and didn’t think to look for a second one. His weapons were there as well, each one neatly organized just out of his reach.

Chat just hoped they’d realized he was missing by now instead of getting captured like he did.

 

* * *

 

“Remember, Ladybug, don’t speak unless you’re positive there’s no one around. Once you get the chip into their servers, I can get you to Chat.”

Ladybug nodded, placing the green Bluetooth in her ear. The device beeped, letting her know that it was connected to Tortue’s. Meanwhile, he was briefing her on what to do and how to go undetected.

They were parked a few hundred feet away from the Akuma’s headquarters. Queen Bee was getting guns and grenades out of the trunk, passing them off to Ladybug for her to use. She had already been outfitted in gear which, strangely enough, seemed to fit her perfectly. A black leather jacket concealed her knives and various other weapons. Underneath was a plain red crop top and black leather pants. Her legs also had gun holsters strapped to her thighs and her black combat boots hid tiny grenades that Tortue had designed. They weren’t powerful enough to kill someone but could provide a decent distraction if needed.

“If you need us to go in, don't hesitate,” Volpina said. She placed her hand on Ladybug’s slim shoulder, attempting to make her feel safer.

“Thanks, Vol.” Ladybug smiled at her, setting her smaller hand on top of Volpina’s.

“Let’s hurry this operation up,” Queen Bee said impatiently, “Chat’s not getting any younger in there.” Tortue nodded and handed Ladybug a small black thumb drive. She tucked it into her pocket and turned towards the inconspicuous rows of buildings.

It was then that the situation finally became apparent to her. Ladybug was about to infiltrate the most feared crime organization in Paris. They were so dangerous that not even Chat Noir had attempted what she was doing. Plus, this was her first mission, and she was alone.

Ladybug sucked in a breath and took off down the street, the wind whipping through her dark hair. She would find Chat, and she’d bring him out alive.

 

* * *

 

“So, this is the great Chat Noir.”

The blonde glared at the man before him, attempting to look as formidable as possible with his hands cuffed. He simply smirked back, his teeth glinting in the light.

“Whom do I have the pleasure of entertaining?” He asked, not letting his expression show any weakness.

“I think you know the answer to that, boy.” The man looked towards the door, twirling his cane in one hand. “Do you think your little friends are on the way yet? They sure are taking their time getting here.”

“Who knows, I don’t exactly tell them where I go.” It was true, they didn’t know where he was most of the time. The less everyone knew, the better. It was safer that way.

“Well, no matter. They’ll arrive soon enough.” He walked over to the table where Chat’s phone and guns were, taking the device in his gloved hand. He flicked open the screen and scrolled through the menus, opening up his sent mail before flipping the phone around. The light was too bright, but after a moment of adjusting, Chat saw what it said.

 

**_Sent to: L.B., Q.B., T.F., V.P._ **

 

**_6:17 PM: SOS._ **

 

* * *

 

Ladybug stood in an alley between two buildings. They looked like your average Parisian houses, but were noticeably quieter. She could hear Tortue clicking away at his keyboard through the Bluetooth as she awaited his instructions.

 _“There should be a vent behind the garbage bin,”_ he informed her, _“Push it out of the way, but quietly.”_ Ladybug did as he said and moved the large rectangular bin out of the way slowly, though it still creaked. She looked around, worried that someone had heard her. When no one showed up, she deemed it safe to enter the vent. Setting the loose grate aside, she crawled in.

The space was dark, so she took out a small flashlight and placed it between her teeth, moving on all fours as silently as possible. Tortue directed her through the small tunnels until she arrived above a small room. She looked down through the grate, but there was someone in there already.

“What do I do? There’s a guard.” Ladybug whispered as quietly as possible.

 _“There should be some darts under your jacket,”_ Volpina’s voice said, _“They’ve got sedatives in them. Use the tranquilizer gun that’s in your belt.”_

Ladybug slipped the gun out of its holster and loaded the darts into it as instructed. Taking aim carefully, she pointed it at the man’s neck. The shot landed exactly where she intended it to, and a few moments later, the man slumped to the floor, unconscious.

“Holy crap, that felt cool,” she said enthusiastically, placing the gun back on her hip, “I’m like a spy.”  

 _“Good work,”_ Tortue praised, _“now look for the central server. It’ll be large and hooked up to a bunch of different  things.”_ Ladybug slipped into the room below silently, looking around for what Tortue needed. There were dozens of different computers lining the walls, but her eyes eventually landed on it.

A large black box sat in the middle of the room with flashing buttons and wires plugged into every nearby device. She walked over to it quickly, boots thumping on the floor. She found a port to plug Tortue’s wireless thumb drive into and saw it light up as she did.

 _“Wait juuuust a second, LB,”_ he said, “ _it’s loading all the cameras.”_ A few seconds later she heard their collective gasps through the communicator.

“What?” She asked, growing extremely nervous.

 _“Ladybug,”_ said Queen Bee’s uneven voice, _“you have to get down there_ **_now._ ** _”_

“What’s going on?”

_“They’re drugging him.”_

Ladybug could feel the blood pumping in her ears. “Tortue, which way?”

_“Go into the hall and turn left. There’s a staircase at the end that leads to the basement. Careful though, there’s another guard up ahead.”_

Ladybug wrapped her hand around the tranquilizer gun and took off down the dark corridor, the only light coming from the dim wall sconces. Just as Tortue said, there was a man right in front of the stairs. She shot twice, the first dart missing him by an inch. The second lodged itself in his forearm and he desperately tried to pluck it out. However, he was too slow. The drug was in his system and acted quickly.

 _I thought shooting a gun would be more difficult,_ she thought. Ladybug slipped past his sleeping form and ran down the stairs, going wherever Tortue directed her. Eventually, she arrived at a large metal door with a huge lock on it. However, it was slightly ajar. Whoever was in there was either incompetent or expecting her.

She swung it open with so much force it slammed into the wall. Two people looked up at the noise, one with a syringe in their hand and the other hanging from the ceiling. Ladybug shot a dart at the one who was unbound, but he quickly ducked out of the way. She shut the door behind her so he couldn’t leave, and they danced around the table as he frantically looked for something he could use as a weapon.

His thin fingers wrapped around a pair of surgical scissors, swinging them erratically at Ladybug’s masked face. Whoever this was, he wasn’t trained in combat at all. Then again, neither was she. Her miraculous made up for this, though, heightening her senses and reflexes.

He swiped at her again and she grabbed his arm, twisting it around behind his body. She shot a dart into the nape of his neck, rendering him unconscious like the guards. She was about to reload it with another in case someone else came, but she had used her last one. Ladybug dropped his body to the ground and ran to Chat, who was staring at her groggily.

“Chat!” She cried, running over to him, “Are you okay? What did they do?”

The blonde grunted in pain as he lifted his head. “I’m fine, they tried to interrogate me. I’ve trained my body to resist most drugs, though these are making my mind a little foggy.”

“I’ll get you out of here.” Ladybug looked around for anything she could use to break the shackles on his wrists. Her eyes landed on a pile of small rocks in the corner and she picked one up, raising it over her head to strike the metal.

“Hey, genius,” Chat said, interrupting her.

“What?” She asked, lowering the stone.

“Before you break my wrists, why don’t you look on the table for the keys.”

Ladybug whipped her head around and saw that the keys were indeed on the table, right in plain sight. She grumbled and dropped the rock to the floor, sulking over to the table. She grabbed the keys and saw him smiling smugly at her, to which she glared back.

“Shut up, asshole.”

“I didn’t even say anything.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes and fiddled with the keys, searching for the right one. When she found it, she inserted the metal into the lock, turning it with a satisfying _click._ Chat dropped to the ground, rubbing his neck where the needle pricks were.

“Thanks for coming to my rescue,” he winked, “Glad to know you’re my knight in shining armor. Speaking of which, digging this new look you’ve got.”

She snorted. “If I’m the knight, then you’re the princess.”

Chat gathered his phone and gun off the table, wrapping the holster around his waist. “I think I’d look pretty good in a dress, don’t you think?” Ladybug rolled her eyes for the second time and headed towards the door, but Chat stepped in front of her.

“Please, allow me.” He turned the large handle and pulled the door open, the metal creaking on its hinges.

 

**_WHAM!_ **

 

Chat was sent flying into the wall, two black streaks pinning down either side of his body. Ladybug fell on the ground as they whizzed past her. One disarmed Chat while the other kept him at bay. She saw that they looked the same as the guards from before, only bulkier. But that wasn’t what caught her attention.

“My, my. What naughty children we have here.” A tall man stood in the doorway, a purple tailcoat draped behind him. He was masked, just as they were, but his covered his entire head aside from his mouth. The mask was silver, embedded with a design reminiscent of a butterfly. His hollow eyes stared at her, scrutinizing her every move. He took a few steps towards her, his cane clacking on the stone floor.

“You fucker!” Chat grunted from the other side of the room.

The man didn’t even spare him a glance, seeing as he was held down by his lackeys. “What is your name, my dear?” He asked the girl in front of him. His deep voice sent chills down Ladybug’s spine, and she felt as if he could read her thoughts.

“Doesn’t matter,” she said, attempting to sound as threatening as possible. However, that was easier said than done. Being just over five feet tall had its merits, like fitting into small vents. However, scaring people was not one of them.

“Oh, we have a tough one here, boys.” He chuckled at the other men, who returned his laughter.

“Who are you?” She asked, reaching for the gun that was strapped to her ankle.

“I go by Hawkmoth,” he said in a deep voice, and Ladybug felt her blood run cold. “I apologize for not being able to tell you my real name, but you know how business is.” Hawkmoth sent her a chilling grin, his pure white teeth gleaming. He leaned in towards her and Ladybug heard Chat struggling to break free. Ladybug pulled out her gun and pointed it at Hawkmoth’s chest, glaring up at him.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, little lady. My guards would fire at you before the bullet even hit me.” Ladybug looked over his shoulder and saw two more men in the doorway, both with guns pointed at her. Real guns.

“Let us leave and no one has to get hurt,” she said.

“I don’t think so. You see, your associates have been giving my group quite a bit of trouble recently. I think it would be wiser for you both to just stay here, where it’s safe.”

“Yeah right, this place is about as safe as an active volcano.”

Hawkmoth chuckled. “That’s true, I suppose. And judging from how much you’re trembling, I doubt you’d be able to escape, much less actually kill me.”

“Don’t listen to him, Ladybug!” Chat grunted, “He’s just trying to get in your head!”

“Why don’t you do it?” He goaded, “Here, I’ll even assist you.” Hawkmoth grabbed the barrel of her pistol and pressed it into his collarbone, smiling at her wickedly.

Ladybug’s hands started shaking. All she had to do was pull the trigger. One little curl of her finger and she’ll kill the most dangerous crime boss in Paris, perhaps in all of France. Her index finger twitched in anticipation, begging her to do it.

 

Do it.

 

_Do it._

 

**_Clack!_ **

 

Ladybug felt the weight in her hands disappear, her hands ceasing their shaking. Hawkmoth’s grin grew even larger, stretching from ear to ear. She looked around in confusion, noticing everyone’s eyes on her. Her gaze fell to the ground where she saw her gun, laying uselessly on the stone floor.

“Seems I was right after all,” Hawkmoth said. He stood and walked to the door, passing the other guards on the way. “Take care of them.”

The men stalked towards her, their guns still pointed at her head. Chat Noir grunted as he kicked one of his captors in the knee, bending the appendage backward. A sickening crack filled the room as he doubled over, screaming in pain. Chat wasted no time retrieving his gun, which was dropped by the now incapacitated man. Two loud bangs pierced the room, and Ladybug saw both guards fall to the ground. The ones that had been creeping towards her stopped, turning to face Chat. Ladybug grabbed her gun off the ground and tossed it to Chat, who caught it in midair. Two gunshots later, they were dead as well.

“Come on, Ladybug!” He said, grabbing her wrist, “We have to go!” The two dashed out of the room and into the hall, with Ladybug taking the lead. She retraced the path up to the server room, snatching Tortue’s thumb drive as they ran.

“We have to go into the vent,” she said, pointing at the ceiling. Chat nodded and stood on one of the metal tables, reopening the grate that Ladybug used before. He hopped into the shaft, reaching down to give her a hand. Her fingers closed around his before her side exploded in pain, causing her to fall back onto the floor.

Chat looked down and saw more men in the doorway as a bullet shell hit the floor. One was holding a pistol pointed at Ladybug, and the others held long silver knives. Chat’s hand wrapped around Ladybug’s gun from before and pointed it at the men. Three shots rang out and each one fell limp to the floor. He jumped down from the vent and turned Ladybug over, who was writhing in pain. Her leather jacket was torn, blood coating the material.

“That bastard shot you,” he growled, rage filling his voice. He picked her up effortlessly and got back on the table, lifting her above him. She managed to climb into the shaft despite the pain and crawled through the metal passageway, keeping the weight off her injury. She limped through and eventually emerged outside. Shouts could be heard from the other side of the building, though Ladybug couldn’t tell what they were saying. Chat came after her, lifting her off the ground as soon as he was out of the tunnel. He ran out onto the street, making sure not to touch her wound.

“Don’t worry, Marinette,” he said in a soothing voice, “Volpina will help you.”

“It hurts,” she whispered before coughing. A trickle of blood appeared from her mouth, making its way to her chin.

“I know, it’ll be okay.” He ran faster and saw Queen Bee’s car parked on the side of the road. They saw him too and ran towards him, fear plastered all over their faces.

“Chat!” Tortue cried, “What happened in there?”

“One of those fuckers shot her when we escaped.” He got in the back seat of the car with Volpina, while Tortue and Queen Bee sat in front. The blonde girl hit the pedal, accelerating with lightning speed.

“Volpina,” Chat said, “Do you think you can help her?”

“Piece of cake,” she assured him, “but my supplies are back at the base. Until then, try to keep her awake.”

Ladybug stared up at Chat’s face while they drove, attempting to stay conscious. Her vision began to blur several times, but Chat pet her hair gently whenever it happened. He didn’t shake her, nor did he say anything. He merely stared into her eyes, attempting to keep her focus on him instead of the pain. They arrived at the abandoned hotel quickly, everyone jumping out of the car to help Chat and Ladybug.

She couldn’t hold on any longer. As her vision faded to black, the last thing she heard was Chat’s voice.

 

_“You’ll be okay.”_

 


	5. Announcement!

Hello, everyone!

Okay, let me get this out of the way first: I have a really bad habit of starting fics, getting a couple chapters in, not liking where it's going and then abandoning it. I know, I'm the worst.

However! That being said, I have decided to rewrite _Dice with Death!_ I feel like although I made some errors with the writing and story in this, the premise has potential. It's been a while (a looong while) since I wrote this and my writing style has matured and improved since then, and I feel like I can do this story justice now. I won't completely rewrite everything, but I will change a few major chunks to iron out some potential problems. 

Now, I do currently have another fic I'm currently working on ( _Advantageous Arrangements_ , you should totally check it out) and that one is still going strong. I finally broke out of my habit of abandoning fics and started something I really enjoy writing! So I'm not sure how long it will be until I rewrite this, but it might be a while. I want to finish _AA_ first, and that's going to be roughly 20-25 chapters, and it's currently on 10 (as of 4/5/2018). Perhaps once I get towards the end of  _AA_ , I might be able to put more time towards  _DWD._ But until then,  _AA_ will be my primary focus.

 

**If you would like to know when this is updated, bookmark/subscribe to this because I will post another announcement when this is rewritten. I'll also post it on my[Tumblr](http://elioren.tumblr.com/) if you'd rather follow me there for it. **

 

Thank you to anyone who reads my work and continues to support me! <3

Elioren

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a kudos if you enjoyed! Let me know what you think by leaving a comment. (Constructive criticism is welcome!) I read every single comment you guys leave!


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